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Other Added - The Ultimate Survival Guide 101, For Expat Managers, Major Domos And Local Talent
If you have ever simply watched people at work you will find that many often come in late or miss work entirely for days on end. We may be able to draw a connection in our reasoning that says all these people showing up 10 minutes late can add up to lots of lost revenue for the company. The problem is how to control attendance issues and still treat everyone fairly?A CCH study on unexcused absenteeism indicates that 83% of employers feel that unexcused absenteeism will continue to rise. The problem is that absenteeism costs have been growing which now range around $800 per employee per year. It doesn’t seem like much but when this cost is multiplied by 10 or 20 employees the numbers speak for themselves.Absenteeism and Punctuality PoliciesHaving an absenteeism and punctuality policy is important for any business with employees. Such policies help keep records on missed work time, encourage employees to attend work, and set a case for dismissal when an employee fails to follow the obligation of his/her work terms. The right kind of policy can save your company tons of money as the years go by.The first thing an owner has to determine is what status his employees fall into. Salaried and professional employees are typically considered “exempt” while hourly workers are “non-exempt”. Exempt means that the employees are not based upon their time at work but on the function of their job. They can work longer hours without paying overtime. Non-exempt employees are paid for each minute they are at work and are entitled to overtime pay.Hourly or non-exempt workers can have their pay reduced for anytime they miss from work while salaried or except workers cannot. For example, if a salaried worker misses 4 hours a day but work any part of that day their pay cannot be affected. The only time a salaried worker can have his/her pay adjusted is when on a leave of absence or when an entire day is missed for personal reasons. To punish the latene
Play the time game. Don’t finish the work you were given in the allocated time. Then forget about the work altogether. If prompted by the foreigner the next day, week or month, as to why you didn’t finish your work, say “I understood that you only want me to work that day”
You can even act right out dumb.
If the above listed tactics don’t work, you can always say “I will do it right the next time, OK”. Said in the foreigner’s language, this is a very effective tool. Who knows when or if there will ever be a next time. In any case you know that your “right” way is
You can play the pity game. If you manage to push the right buttons they might feel sorry for you and even take care of you. Yes, there are some foreigners that are ripe for the picking.
Any combination of the above could ensure that you do not have to perform those duties ever again! Or the best and last resort
We spend half our lives working with the end result being nothing to show for it but a check from Uncle Sam. After wasting time in dead end jobs eventually you will come to the conclusion that entrepreneurship is for you. So how do you do it?After digging deep and analyzing your skills,talents,interests, abilities, and favorite hobbies you may be able to hone in on a money making craft to get you on your way to self employment.If you are still employed by others here are some signs that it is time to work for yourself:1. You have to be at work at 9am, in the morning you press the snooze button more than once.2. Mornings and you don't get along very well.3. You don't care if you are late to work.4. Your coworkers are annoying.5. You are smarter than your boss.6. The work you do seems monotonous and tedious.7. You wish your boss would fire you and you keep edging it on by taking longer breaks and lunches on purpose.8. You're living paycheck to paycheck but still you keep thinking that anything is better than your current employment.These are just a few reasons why you may be considering entrepreneurship. By no means is this list intended to be all inclusive. Reasons may vary. All in all Entrepreneurship is for risk takers. Those who are not afraid to fail and can work with little or no pay. You will reap what you sow in the long run. The rewards of doing something you love and getting paid to do it is beyond explanation the best feeling you could experience!
Whether you just arrived at your new overseas posting, or are a long time seasoned expatriate manager with years of experience, I hope that his short paper will put a smile on your face.
Imagine that one day out of the blue a large ship, larger than one you have ever seen arrives. Big men, and strange beasts land on your land, brandishing modern weapons of mass destruction, riding intimidating four legged creatures emitting strange sounds, and demand that you turn over your riches, your land, your women and children.
The conquerors are small in number, but big in power. They have superior weapons, better tactics, are better educated and better built. Your numbers are larger, but you are no match to them militarily. Pizarro landed on the coast of Peru in 1531 with 168 Spanish soldiers and went on to conquer the Inca Empire of millions.
If the foreigner’s numbers are small and they plan to stay there for a short time, and if you know that it will be difficult for them to return, you should try to get as much out of them as possible. Tap into his knowledge, steal his weapons, rob his warehouses, and kill them if you can.
But, if the newly arrived conquerors look like they are there to stay, what do you do? You have absolutely no competitive advantage over them, except for local geographical knowledge. And time. Time is on your side. In time, foreigners come and foreigners go but the local population is there to stay. It’s always been like that, and it will always be like that. What do you do to survive?
There are two principals that have guided conquered people over history in their survival:
Principal One: The conqueror has absolute power over you. He can hurt/maim/kill you any time. At a whim. Principal Two: Under any circumstance, never forget Principal one.
Survival Guide for Conquered Peoples 101
How to survive and outfox the foreigner until he leaves?
On Everyday Guidelines:
Smile all the time. Smiling doesn’t hurt anyone. The foreigner might even smile back. Some of the foreigners that smile back might even think that you are sincere. The ones that are foolish enough to believe in your sincerity might be cajoled into helping you with special favors.
Always greet the foreigner first. Greet as many foreigners as possible. This will make them feel important. Since you are the one that makes them feel important they might look out for you.
Say “yes” all the time. To anything and everything. Even when you mean “no” say “yes”. Purge the word “no” from your vocabulary.
When asked or ordered to do something, always agree. Disagreeing could mean punishment or even worse, instant death.
On Work or Rather On How Not to Work
Of course, agreeing to do something does not necessarily mean that you will do it!
You can do the work slowly. The foreigner usually has deadlines he must meet in his own company/country. If you work slowly, his patience might run out. He will either try and do the work himself or ask others to assist you. Either way, you will have lightened your burden.
You can do the work badly. If you can get away with it that is. But if you pull this one off one too many times, your butt might be on the line.
You can pretend to misunderstand orders. The simple “I no speak” said in the foreigner’s language is usually enough to have them put you in the “useless” box. If they can’t communicate with you, they can’t ask you to do work for them.
You can feign a lack of understanding if you are accused of not doing the assigned work. “I did not understand” said in the foreigners language is usually very effective. Sometimes the foreigner might doubt her own communication skills.
Play the time game. Don’t finish the work you were given in the allocated time. Then forget about the work altogether. If prompted by the foreigner the next day, week or month, as to why you didn’t finish your work, say “I understood that you only want me to work that day”
You can even act right out dumb.
If the above listed tactics don’t work, you can always say “I will do it right the next time, OK”. Said in the foreigner’s language, this is a very effective tool. Who knows when or if there will ever be a next time. In any case you know that your “right” way is
You can play the pity game. If you manage to push the right buttons they might feel sorry for you and even take care of you. Yes, there are some foreigners that are ripe for the picking.
Any combination of the above could ensure that you do not have to perform those duties ever again! Or the best and last resort i
Postcards became one of the most important forms of communication that is widely used at present. Businesses consider them to be one of the top most promotional materials used because you can easily hand them out to your prospects no matter how far they are from you.Postcards are essential tools that can be widely used for advertisements, business reply, coupon cards, invitations and greeting cards. Because of its valuable usage businesses had efficiently worked out to make the best of the cards.With the great innovations made in the printing technology, different means had been brought up in order to come up with interesting promotional postcards.1.Personalization or custom printing.When we talk about custom printing, we mean personalizing your cards. With this process you can create a design that is based on your own artwork and bring unique prints that will stand out. The design that you make will reflect the personality of your business. The advantage of having your cards done through custom printing is that you are able to create unique designs that will serve as your brand identity in the market.2.Apply brilliant colors and attractive inksIt is often said that colors are the best ways of grabbing your client’s attention. For, it essentially works out to make your material look more attractive and alive. The brilliant colors that you use must be in appropriate with the marketing proposal you are about to make. Stunning and brilliant colors can surely wake up the interest of your target audience.3.Provide informative contentThe headings of your cards must catchy to interest your audience. Provide them answerable questions why you intend to advertise, what will be the valuable benefits they can get from you and how they can get through your business, Moreover a punch line can be ideal in order for your clients to easily remember you.4.Use durable paper stockNow since your postcards are deliv
If the foreigner’s numbers are small and they plan to stay there for a short time, and if you know that it will be difficult for them to return, you should try to get as much out of them as possible. Tap into his knowledge, steal his weapons, rob his warehouses, and kill them if you can.
But, if the newly arrived conquerors look like they are there to stay, what do you do? You have absolutely no competitive advantage over them, except for local geographical knowledge. And time. Time is on your side. In time, foreigners come and foreigners go but the local population is there to stay. It’s always been like that, and it will always be like that. What do you do to survive?
There are two principals that have guided conquered people over history in their survival:
Principal One: The conqueror has absolute power over you. He can hurt/maim/kill you any time. At a whim. Principal Two: Under any circumstance, never forget Principal one.
Survival Guide for Conquered Peoples 101
How to survive and outfox the foreigner until he leaves?
On Everyday Guidelines:
Smile all the time. Smiling doesn’t hurt anyone. The foreigner might even smile back. Some of the foreigners that smile back might even think that you are sincere. The ones that are foolish enough to believe in your sincerity might be cajoled into helping you with special favors.
Always greet the foreigner first. Greet as many foreigners as possible. This will make them feel important. Since you are the one that makes them feel important they might look out for you.
Say “yes” all the time. To anything and everything. Even when you mean “no” say “yes”. Purge the word “no” from your vocabulary.
When asked or ordered to do something, always agree. Disagreeing could mean punishment or even worse, instant death.
On Work or Rather On How Not to Work
Of course, agreeing to do something does not necessarily mean that you will do it!
You can do the work slowly. The foreigner usually has deadlines he must meet in his own company/country. If you work slowly, his patience might run out. He will either try and do the work himself or ask others to assist you. Either way, you will have lightened your burden.
You can do the work badly. If you can get away with it that is. But if you pull this one off one too many times, your butt might be on the line.
You can pretend to misunderstand orders. The simple “I no speak” said in the foreigner’s language is usually enough to have them put you in the “useless” box. If they can’t communicate with you, they can’t ask you to do work for them.
You can feign a lack of understanding if you are accused of not doing the assigned work. “I did not understand” said in the foreigners language is usually very effective. Sometimes the foreigner might doubt her own communication skills.
Play the time game. Don’t finish the work you were given in the allocated time. Then forget about the work altogether. If prompted by the foreigner the next day, week or month, as to why you didn’t finish your work, say “I understood that you only want me to work that day”
You can even act right out dumb.
If the above listed tactics don’t work, you can always say “I will do it right the next time, OK”. Said in the foreigner’s language, this is a very effective tool. Who knows when or if there will ever be a next time. In any case you know that your “right” way is
You can play the pity game. If you manage to push the right buttons they might feel sorry for you and even take care of you. Yes, there are some foreigners that are ripe for the picking.
Any combination of the above could ensure that you do not have to perform those duties ever again! Or the best and last resort
Do you hear people say “May I have another serving?” or “This will ruin my diet.” when they taste your cooking? Or do they usually say “What in the world is this?” and you find yourself cleaning away most of what you served? Do you have a hard time getting the dish right even if you have a cookbook with you?If you feel that your cooking impresses not just your cat, and that you breeze your way through cookbooks, then you really have what it takes to be in culinary arts. You can further master your skills I any cooking school or culinary institute. You will soon discover that there are quite a lot more techniques that you have yet to learn and so many more possibilities to venture into. Even if you’re not thinking of making a career out of it, this can still do a lot of good because you will be able to serve uniquely delicious meals to your family and interesting party dishes for your friends.Enrolling in a cooking school or in a culinary institute does not really require you to be a gourmet chef already. Otherwise, what’s the point of going to school, right? It just needs you to have a deep passion for cooking and everything else will follow. An education in the culinary arts can open doors to exciting careers. The possible options are: chef, restaurant and hotel management, food research, nutrition or dietetics, food sales, food styling and media, or food training and instruction.Some people who have been gifted with “kitchen prowess” do not find any reason to enroll in any cooking school or culinary institute. They think that they can always learn things that these schools teach when they work in a good restaurant. True enough, you can probably learn to cook every single entry on the menu and the cooking techniques necessary to prepare those foods. But your knowledge will be restricted to the list of dishes found in your employer’s menu. Your employer may also be able to show you some good cooking methods and the basic “how’s” of cooking, b
Survival Guide for Conquered Peoples 101
How to survive and outfox the foreigner until he leaves?
On Everyday Guidelines:
Smile all the time. Smiling doesn’t hurt anyone. The foreigner might even smile back. Some of the foreigners that smile back might even think that you are sincere. The ones that are foolish enough to believe in your sincerity might be cajoled into helping you with special favors.
Always greet the foreigner first. Greet as many foreigners as possible. This will make them feel important. Since you are the one that makes them feel important they might look out for you.
Say “yes” all the time. To anything and everything. Even when you mean “no” say “yes”. Purge the word “no” from your vocabulary.
When asked or ordered to do something, always agree. Disagreeing could mean punishment or even worse, instant death.
On Work or Rather On How Not to Work
Of course, agreeing to do something does not necessarily mean that you will do it!
You can do the work slowly. The foreigner usually has deadlines he must meet in his own company/country. If you work slowly, his patience might run out. He will either try and do the work himself or ask others to assist you. Either way, you will have lightened your burden.
You can do the work badly. If you can get away with it that is. But if you pull this one off one too many times, your butt might be on the line.
You can pretend to misunderstand orders. The simple “I no speak” said in the foreigner’s language is usually enough to have them put you in the “useless” box. If they can’t communicate with you, they can’t ask you to do work for them.
You can feign a lack of understanding if you are accused of not doing the assigned work. “I did not understand” said in the foreigners language is usually very effective. Sometimes the foreigner might doubt her own communication skills.
Play the time game. Don’t finish the work you were given in the allocated time. Then forget about the work altogether. If prompted by the foreigner the next day, week or month, as to why you didn’t finish your work, say “I understood that you only want me to work that day”
You can even act right out dumb.
If the above listed tactics don’t work, you can always say “I will do it right the next time, OK”. Said in the foreigner’s language, this is a very effective tool. Who knows when or if there will ever be a next time. In any case you know that your “right” way is
You can play the pity game. If you manage to push the right buttons they might feel sorry for you and even take care of you. Yes, there are some foreigners that are ripe for the picking.
Any combination of the above could ensure that you do not have to perform those duties ever again! Or the best and last resort
A recent poll conducted by Forbes magazine shows that majority of its readers would prefer to become a billionaire rather than a Nobel peace prize winner, a great scientist or a famous athlete. There is no secret that most of the average people dream about getting rich albeit very few makes any real effort to become one.According to statistics, more than 100 thousand people become millionaires each year in the United States alone! Overwhelming majority out of them is self-made and owners of business. This means, if you would like to pursue your goal of becoming rich, you have to start your own venture.Becoming an entrepreneur is not an easy task! There are certain qualities that are absolutely necessary if you would like to become successful in your business ventures. Some of these qualities are built-in parts of your inherent personality, and some of them get developed over time. Knowing these characteristics and identifying your weak ones - those, which need strengthening - will, eventually, help you become a successful entrepreneur.1. Common SenseStudies show that most successful businessmen consider common sense as the foundation of their success. Common sense is defined as an ability to make sound judgments on the issues, which you encounter in everyday situations.Good judgment depends on acquired knowledge and past experience. The combination of these two creates necessary prerequisites in developing common sense in a person. Common sense allows you to understand complex issues in simpler terms and get into the core of a problem.2. Specialized Knowledge of your fieldIt is easier to start a successful business, if you have deep knowledge of the business field that you decide to pursue. About half of all home-based start-ups are launched by people who decide to use the knowledge, which they gained from their previous work experience of a particular niche area.
You can do the work slowly. The foreigner usually has deadlines he must meet in his own company/country. If you work slowly, his patience might run out. He will either try and do the work himself or ask others to assist you. Either way, you will have lightened your burden.
You can do the work badly. If you can get away with it that is. But if you pull this one off one too many times, your butt might be on the line.
You can pretend to misunderstand orders. The simple “I no speak” said in the foreigner’s language is usually enough to have them put you in the “useless” box. If they can’t communicate with you, they can’t ask you to do work for them.
You can feign a lack of understanding if you are accused of not doing the assigned work. “I did not understand” said in the foreigners language is usually very effective. Sometimes the foreigner might doubt her own communication skills.
Play the time game. Don’t finish the work you were given in the allocated time. Then forget about the work altogether. If prompted by the foreigner the next day, week or month, as to why you didn’t finish your work, say “I understood that you only want me to work that day”
You can even act right out dumb.
If the above listed tactics don’t work, you can always say “I will do it right the next time, OK”. Said in the foreigner’s language, this is a very effective tool. Who knows when or if there will ever be a next time. In any case you know that your “right” way is
You can play the pity game. If you manage to push the right buttons they might feel sorry for you and even take care of you. Yes, there are some foreigners that are ripe for the picking.
Any combination of the above could ensure that you do not have to perform those duties ever again! Or the best and last resort
Online catalogs are often associated with library records and materials. But today catalogs are not only helpful inside the library. They are being used in the promotion of the company’s products and services. In fact as the technology continues to advance, more and more features are integrated in the catalog format.Online catalogs are being used now to serve as a display of what you’re offering to customers. It’s like a store which sells your services online. Because it’s online, it’s fast and easy to access.Essentially, an online catalog is an automated catalog wherein you can find all the information about the products of the company. However, people sometimes give no attention to how their catalogs look like. In this regard, planning for the online catalog is very important. Its success will result in a great boost to your sales.You can improve your online catalog by following these basic tips.First and foremost, analyze your sales. Check if how many customers shop at your store. If you’re not successful in securing the interest of customers at the point of purchase, then something is wrong. There are various causes of this dilemma. One reason is customers think that your products are not suited to their requirements. Another reason is that your catalog is not pleasing to the eye. These letdowns can be easily solved if you only take time to analyze what you are selling to the customers and what specific needs do they have.Then, increase your sales. Improve your selling strategies. This can be done by making sure that the online catalog is presented with a very good logical organization. The products should be presented in a very clear, negotiable manner. You can add impact to your catalog by using well-made graphics or images next to the text. The description for each product should be easy to understand so that the potential customers would immediately know what you’re trying to tell them even at a glance.In addition
Play the time game. Don’t finish the work you were given in the allocated time. Then forget about the work altogether. If prompted by the foreigner the next day, week or month, as to why you didn’t finish your work, say “I understood that you only want me to work that day”
You can even act right out dumb.
If the above listed tactics don’t work, you can always say “I will do it right the next time, OK”. Said in the foreigner’s language, this is a very effective tool. Who knows when or if there will ever be a next time. In any case you know that your “right” way is
You can play the pity game. If you manage to push the right buttons they might feel sorry for you and even take care of you. Yes, there are some foreigners that are ripe for the picking.
Any combination of the above could ensure that you do not have to perform those duties ever again! Or the best and last resort is not to show up for work at all! The foreigner usually will not waste her valuable time to go out looking for you. They will forget about you sooner then later.
If, in the worst case scenario, you have to do the work, do it slowly, but make sure the quality of your work is satisfactory. Your master will either allocate more time or designate somebody to help you. In the worst case scenario, you get to work slowly and have somebody to chat and reminisce with. In the best case scenario, as a loyal servant to your master, you get to supervise that person! As you assume more responsibility, you should of course be compensated better and should work less. Isn’t that what climbing the management ladder is all about! In time you get to hire two new people to help the person who was hired to help you, and promote your first assistant to supervisor. As a result you now have the loyalty of the people you supervise. Another important lesson of how to use other people’s money to generate loyalty for yourself.
On Knowledge:
Never volunteer or let the foreigner know much you know. You might be asked to perform new tasks. You don’t want to perform new tasks, do you?
Do not show your masters what you are capable of. Either you have to work harder, or you could be deemed as too knowledgeable. Knowledge can be turned into power. If you become too powerful as a result of your knowledge, you will need to be eliminated.
On Change:
Slow down the pace of change. Change is never good, as it only benefits those who instigate change. Change could mean that you lose your power base, the backing of those loyal to you. Loyalty changes as quickly as the circumstances generating that loyalty changes.
Slow down the pace of economic activity. A better economy is only going to profit the foreign rulers. That will mean that they will stay there longer and make your life more miserable.
On Religion:
If you absolutely have to, accept the new gods and forms of worship that the foreigner brings with him. Who can really determine what you really believe in anyhow?
On Having Fun: The above are basic guidelines on how to make your life easier and the foreigner’s life more difficult. Making the foreigners life difficult can be a lot of fun. If the setting and conditions allow it, you can even get away with making fun of the foreigner in your own language. But beware, sometimes some of them understand or even speak your language!
Having seen how the conquered people manage to survive and have fun, it would be unfair not to prepare a guide for the conquerors.
Survival Guide for Conquerors 101
In all this mad tumult, how does the foreigner survive? The foreigner has deadlines, as well as the difficult task of having to answer to stakeholders in far away lands that are closely scrutinizing performance reports. In short the foreigner’s future hangs in the balance of the corporate balance sheets.
How to overcome the daily dose of insurmountable passive resistance that the locals dish out?
On the types of expats
When looking at the composition of foreign management talent in conquered lands, we see certain strategies at work:
Corporate decision makers usually follow one of these strategies:
A) Once you have conquered and assured subservient behavior, you make sure to send your youngest and most inexperienced people to the conquered lands. The young ones may find the whole ordeal of serving Queen and Country in conquered lands, an adventure. They will gain experience and be more appreciative of conditions back home.
B) You send your deadwood people over there. Since they probably know that they are deadwood and do not expect to make further career advancements at home, acting out the expat
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